The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading ...

Loading ...

This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe

It’s not easy to be an entrepreneur – at least that’s what most people think. A 2010 BBC survey of nearly 25,000 individuals in 24 countries revealed that the majority believe that starting a company is difficult for people like them.

While the majority of those surveyed in nearly all of the countries said that starting a business is difficult, the residents of some countries believe it is particularly hard. In Brazil, for instance, 84 percent of respondents said that starting a business was tough for people like them, while only 13 percent thought this statement was not true. By contrast, in Germany 48 percent said starting a company was hard, but 44 percent said it was not.

A majority of Americans (59 percent) think it is difficult for people like them to start a company, while only 36 percent disagreed with this notion.

Despite the high share of Americans who think start being an entrepreneur is hard, Americans still think it is easier than people from most countries. Of the 24 nations where the survey was conducted, only residents of Germany, Australia, Canada and Mexico are less likely than Americans to believe it is difficult for people to start a company.

Source: Created from data from BBC World Service Survey Poll, May 25, 2011.